Senior Clinical Research Scientist Jobs in California
Senior Clinical Research Scientist jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors that anchor the state's life sciences economy at every level from associate scientist through principal investigator. The largest hiring hubs are San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles, where companies like Genentech, AbbVie, and Amgen maintain significant California operations. Oncology, immunology, and rare disease trials are the most in-demand specializations across these markets. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Research Scientist, Clinical AI Evaluation Lead Responsibilities:
- Own the evidence standard for Health GenAI launches: define the readiness bar, produce the evidence package behind each launch decision, and serve as the scientific authority that decision rests on.
- Define and lead the evaluation strategy for GenAI health products, establishing what “good,” “safe,” and “ready to ship” mean, and the evidence required to claim each.
- Design and build LLM and multimodal benchmarks for health: clinical reasoning, factuality and hallucination, safety and harm avoidance, appropriate escalation and refusal, calibration and uncertainty, and fairness across populations.
- Develop clinical confirmation methodology, pairing automated evaluations with clinician-in-the-loop adjudication, inter-rater reliability, and study designs that produce defensible evidence.
- Partner with product and AI engineering from concept through launch of Meta's Health GenAI features, defining the claim, the evidence, and the guardrails before the feature exists.
- Partner with clinical research, regulatory, and legal to align evaluation evidence with submission and documentation needs where products are on a regulated path.
- Define new research directions in health AI evaluation where no established methodology exists, and publish work that shapes how the field measures clinical generative AI.
- Set technical direction across teams, raise the scientific bar through review and mentorship, and represent Meta's position on Health AI evaluation externally through publication, benchmarks, and standards work.
- Generates entirely new research directions, works on problems of the highest complexity and ambiguity, and makes technical contributions likely to reshape how the field thinks about the area.
Minimum Qualifications:
- 10+ years of experience in AI/ML or a quantitative research field, including 3+ years designing and running evaluations of LLMs or foundation models. Experience building clinical benchmarks, rubrics, and measurement methodology (safety, factuality, calibration, and bias)
- 3+ years applying measurement science to generative AI: constructing benchmarks and eval sets, defining scoring rubrics, validating human and model-based graders, and quantifying uncertainty in model quality claims
- Experience setting technical direction across organizational boundaries, influencing clinical, product, engineering, and regulatory partners
- Strong publication record at top-tier venues or high-impact peer-reviewed journals
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with clinical validation, regulated medical device software (SaMD), or FDA submissions including judgment about when a product belongs on a general-wellness path versus a regulated one
- Track record of taking a system from inception through production, including defining the evaluation criteria that gated its launch
- Experience evaluating models in production at consumer scale: online metrics, safety regression across base-model updates, and adversarial testing
About Meta:
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@meta.com.
$184,000/year to $257,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.
See All 9 Senior Clinical Research Scientist Jobs in California
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Find JobsSenior Clinical Research Scientist Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior Clinical Research Scientist Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
- Education
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior clinical research scientist jobs across California.
- Advanced degree (PhD or MS) in a life science field required or strongly preferred
- Minimum five years of clinical trial management or pharmaceutical research experience
- Hands-on knowledge of ICH-GCP guidelines and FDA regulatory requirements
- Experience writing or reviewing clinical study protocols, reports, and regulatory submissions
- Proficiency with clinical data management systems and electronic data capture platforms
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills working with biostatistics, medical affairs, and regulatory teams
Senior Clinical Research Scientist Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior clinical research scientist in California?
A master's degree or doctorate in a life science discipline is the standard foundation, with most California employers expecting several years of direct clinical trial or drug development experience before considering candidates for a senior designation. California does not issue a state license specific to clinical research scientists, but many hiring managers value the Certified Clinical Research Professional credential from the Society of Clinical Research Associates as a recognized marker of competence. Large Bay Area and San Diego biotech employers typically promote from within or recruit scientists with a demonstrated record in protocol development and regulatory submission work.
Which companies hire senior clinical research scientists in California?
Employers hiring senior clinical research scientists in California right now include Meta, Abbott, and Ceribell, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. California's dense concentration of biotechnology headquarters and pharmaceutical regional offices means openings arise consistently across both large multinationals and well-funded clinical-stage companies headquartered in San Diego and South San Francisco.
Which California cities have the most senior clinical research scientist jobs?
Novato, San Francisco, and Alameda are the California cities with the most senior clinical research scientist openings. San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area drive the bulk of demand because they host the country's two largest biotech and pharmaceutical clusters, while Los Angeles generates openings through academic medical centers, contract research organizations, and a growing number of oncology-focused companies expanding their clinical operations in the region.
Are there remote senior clinical research scientist jobs in California?
Yes, and more than many lab-based science roles, because a meaningful share of senior clinical research scientist work involves protocol writing, data review, regulatory correspondence, and cross-functional coordination that can be done off-site. About 40% of senior clinical research scientist openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of October 2026. The functions most commonly offered remotely are clinical operations oversight, medical writing, and vendor management, while roles requiring hands-on site monitoring or laboratory involvement remain predominantly on-site.
How can I get hired as a senior clinical research scientist in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a clinical research coordinator or research associate role at a California academic medical center or contract research organization, which provides hands-on trial exposure without requiring prior industry experience. University of California health system sites and Children's Hospital Los Angeles run structured clinical research training programs and hire coordinators who then advance internally. Building familiarity with FDA-regulated trial processes, completing a Good Clinical Practice certification, and targeting associate scientist postings at San Diego or Bay Area biotechs with active Phase II and III pipelines are the steps that most consistently open the door to a senior role.
Where can I find and apply to senior clinical research scientist jobs in California?
You can find and apply to senior clinical research scientist jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly from the listings on this page.
See All 9 Senior Clinical Research Scientist Jobs in California
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